Dr. Fauci Thinks Americans Should Never Shake Hands Again

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and member of President Donald Trump’s Coronavirus Taskforce, said in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, Americans should never shake hands again.

Dr. Fauci expressed to the Wall Street Journal that ending the customary greeting of shaking hands would be beneficial for reducing future COVID-19 infections and reduce the number of influenza cases.

Dr. Fauci told The Journal podcast that he hoped to see the “light at the end of the tunnel” by the end of April. “When you gradually come back, you don’t jump into it with both feet. You say what are the things you could still do and still approach normal. One of them is absolute compulsive hand washing. The other is you don’t ever shake anybody’s hands.”

He recommends wearing a cloth face mask if you cannot maintain a distance of 6 feet from others once life goes back to normal.

The host of the Kate Linebaugh asked why the members of the Coronavirus Task Force do not stand six feet apart from another at the daily briefings. Dr. Fauci answered that the task force is different because they get tested frequently and their temperature is taken eight to nine times a day. He states that every time you go into a different room in the White House, you get your temperature taken.

When he was asked to give a glimpse of what life will look like once the worst of the virus has passed, he predicted that the country will come back in phases. He suggested things like limiting how many people can eat in a restaurant or attend an event at one time will change.

President Trump has extended social distancing guidelines until April 30. People around the world have replaced handshakes with head nods, peace signs, foot taps, and elbow bumps.

“I don’t think we should ever shake hands ever again, to be honest with you. Not only would it be good to prevent coronavirus disease, it probably would decrease instances of influenza dramatically in this country.”